jmp22684 Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 I do 4 cable method into either a PRS Custom 50 combo or a Mesa Road King combo. Use an rjm amp gizmo for channel switching. Just did first gig this past weekend with a bluguitar amp1 ME and the 1x12 fatcab. It cut through the mix wonderfully and has all the dynamics and weighs next to nothing compared to the other amps. And I didn't need my rjm amp gizmo either. That is all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmp22684 Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 And it's mounted! One power cable and one speaker cable and my rig is ready to roll! :) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonandtice Posted May 7, 2019 Share Posted May 7, 2019 On 4/10/2019 at 10:57 AM, jmp22684 said: I do 4 cable method into either a PRS Custom 50 combo or a Mesa Road King combo. Use an rjm amp gizmo for channel switching. Just did first gig this past weekend with a bluguitar amp1 ME and the 1x12 fatcab. It cut through the mix wonderfully and has all the dynamics and weighs next to nothing compared to the other amps. And I didn't need my rjm amp gizmo either. That is all. I know the amp1 is "tube" because it has a nano tube in the preamp. Does it have more of a tube feel than the Helix models? Is it a big improvement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmp22684 Posted May 7, 2019 Author Share Posted May 7, 2019 It is close. Very very close. I can say I've tried a bunch of amps over the course of the past 3 years trying to replace my road king. Not that I don't like it, it's hands down my favorite amp and I've done a lot of my own custom work to it, but it's EXTREMELY heavy and I've got gigs booked clear into 2020... my back wants something smaller. This is the first one I tried that I didn't think was too mushy, too scooped or too ear piercing. It's simple to setup. Out of the gate with everything set pretty modestly (all settings at 5, treble around 3) it sat perfectly in the mix. Thomas Blug probably designed it with exactly that intention, its specifically to be a live use fly rig amp. I used the modelling in the helix straight to PA for about a year and had to go back to an amp, my playing immediately improved. I know it's supposed to sound like a mic'd cab... but I can mic my cab, put my in ears in and I like it more than the helix modeling. That's just me personally and I seriously spent that year with thousands of different eq techniques, IRs, etc... I REALLY tried and it's all I ran. The minute I plugged back into an amp I just started jamming in a way I hadn't for a year. So yeah... for me I like it. One thought I had was to try the preamp into the Amp1 and even then it would be a pretty good "tube" power amp for roughly the price of a tube power amp. But using it this way prevents me from spending more time tweaking than playing. So all in all I'm pretty happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 14 hours ago, jmp22684 said: used the modelling in the helix straight to PA for about a year and had to go back to an amp, my playing immediately improved. Nice looking setup. I'm not doubting that you liked the sound of your amp better than Helix per your descriptions, but how did your playing improve if the tube feel is just "close" to what Helix offers? Im mean your satisfaction may be met in equipment choices, but how did that change in tone improve your playing? Asking because I've played a while and after a few decades of me playing that it usually takes years for me to see any drastic improvements worth mentioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmp22684 Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 I should say I started playing like I use to play. I don't know... I was just able to get into a groove again. I used tube amps for years, then only used the helix for a year, then back. Honestly it was most likely just the difference between hearing it through my PA vs hearing it through my amp. Especially considering I can get most of the way there running the helix into the return on my amps. I'm not trying to bash the helix by any means. I love it and it will most likely be the center of my rig for years to come. Even if I can finally complete my analog rack rig I've been wanting to building for.... 4 years maybe? Lol... I only have so far an RJM RG16 and a couple prostage boxes. The helix would stick around purely for it's midi capabilities. This isn't a dig at it. I like everything about the helix and it would make a better midi controller than anything else I've seen; not only because of the amount of storage but the simple fact that there aren't many I could find that would allow for the expression pedal and toe switch options. If like 6 came out with an "HX Midi" with the same amount of toe switches, and expression pedal options as the helix floor still using snapshot midi instant, etc... I'd be all over it in a heart beat! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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